Package construction



1967 M. D. HARTMAN, JR

PACKAGE CONSTRUCTION Filed NOV. 10, 1964 NVE TOR.

man, 2.

Mawrg'ca 24 ATTORNEY United States Patent "cc 3,305,086 PACKAGE CONSTRUCTION Maurice D. Hartman, Jr., Telford, Pa., assignor to Sparks Corporation, Harleysville, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Nov. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 410,108 3 Claims. (Cl. 20678) This invention relates generally to packaging, and is especially concerned with a unique package construction for packaging small articles.

While the package of the instant invention has been primarily developed and employed for use in the packaging of candy, and will be illustrated and described hereinafter with particular reference thereto, it is appreciated that the advantageous features of the present invention are applicable to the packaging of many varied products, all of which applications are intended to be comprehended herein.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a packaging construction, particularly adapted for packaging pieces of candy or other articles, which may advantageously expose the articles to view, being adapted for this purpose to utilize light-permeable or transparent plastic sheets of relatively thin gauge for economy, while achieving a staunch and rigid packagecapable of being economically decorated or imprinted in the conventional manner.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a unique package construction of the type described wherein the contained articles are effectively sealed against ambient conditions, while readily accessible with a minimum of effort.

The instant invention more particularly contemplates the provision of a package construction employing a pair of facing sheets, at least one of which is deformed to define between the sheets an article-receiving pocket, and wherein the pair of sheets are provided with interfitting formations surrounding the pocket, which formations effectively retain the sheets in their pocket-defining relation and are disengageable to afford access to the contents of the pocket.

An additional feature of the instant invention resides in the sandwiching of an intermediate sheet between the facing pair of sheets and in surrounding relation with the interfitting formations. The intermediate sheet may be of relatively inexpensive cardboard, or other suitable material, affording stiffness and strength to the package, as well as an economically printed copy space, while the first-mentioned pair of facing sheets may be of reduced strength and cost without sacrificing protection of the contents.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view showing a package construction of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a back perspective view of the package construction of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

3,305,086 Patented Feb. 21, 1967 Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIGURES 1 and 2 thereof, a package of the present invention is there generally designated 10, and includes a pair of outer sheets 11 and 12, the former being forward and the latter rearward in FIGURE 1. The outer sheets 11 and 12 may be generally congruent, as illustrated, or of other relative configuration, if desired. Interposed in sandwiched relation between the outer sheets 11 and 12 is an intermediate sheet 13, which is illustrated as being laterally substantially coextensive with the outer sheets, having its lower edge 14 terminating short of the lower edges of outer sheets 11 and 12, and having an upper portion 15 extending upward beyond the upper edges of the outer sheets.

The outer sheets 11 and 12 may advantageously be fabricated of relatively thin, light-permeable or transparent thermoplastic sheeting, thermoformed and cut to the final shape and size. In particular, the forward outer sheet 11 may be formed with a plurality of spaced forwardly deformed receiver portions or bubbles 18, say of the domed configuration illustration, or otherwise. Spacedly surrounding each deformed receiver portion 18, the sheet 11 is formed with a generally annular depressed formation or groove 19. Thus, the receiver portions 18 are deformed forward away from the rear sheet 12, having their interior hollow 20 facing rearward toward the rear sheet; and, the annular groove or depressed formation 19 surrounding each receiver portion 18 may be depressed rearward toward the rear sheet 12, so that the interior hollow of each groove 19 faces forwardly.

In substantial alignment with each forwardly deformed receiver portion 18 of front sheet 11, the rear sheet 12 is formed with a rearwardly deformed receiver portion 22. Thus, each rearwardly deformed receiver portion 22 of rear sheet 12 has its interior hollow facing forward toward a respective receiver portion 18 and combines therewith to define an article-receiving pocket, as will appear hereinafter in greater detail. The rear-sheet receiver portions 22 may each have a generally flat bottom or rear wall 23 and a circumferential wall 24, advantageously of corrugated or grooved configuration. By the inherent resilience of the material of sheet 12, the corrugated wall 24 of each receiver portion 22 is resiliently distensible upon snug engagement therein of a received article 25 to frictionally embrace the latter. This serves to hold the contained articles 25, such as articles of candy, in position relative to the package during handling thereof.

Surrounding each rearwardly deformed receiver portion 22 of the rear sheet 12 is a rearwardly depressed annular formation or groove 26 configured to snugly frictionally receive the adjacent groove formation 19 of front sheet 11. By this interfitting relationship of groove formations 19 and 26, effective hermetic sealing is achieved of each pocket defined between aligned receiver portions 18 and 22. The interfitting relationship of adjacent groove formations 19 and 26 may be achieved by merely pressing of the former into the latter, and disengagement there between may be easily achieved by deliberate separation of the outer sheets 11 and 12.

The intermediate sheet 13 may be opaque, say of cardboard or the like, to afford substantial stiffness to the entire package at relatively low cost. Further, the cardboard intermediate sheet 13 may provide surfaces for decoration and copy by economical, conventional printing procedures. As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, the intermediate sheet 13 is formed with a plurality of thru openings or holes 30, each in registry with a respective facing pair of receiver portions 18 and 22. Further, each opening or hole 30 of intermediate sheet 13 has its bounding edge surrounding the adjacent interfitting formations 19 and 26, each formation 19 projecting rearward through its adjacent hole 30. In this manner, the intermediate sheet 3 or card 13 is effectively retained in position between the outer sheets 11 and 12.

While for most purposes it has not been found necessary to adhesively secure or seal the outer sheets 11 and 12, this may be accomplished, if desired, say at the interfitting formations 19 and 26, or at other locations. For example, the expending lower regions of outer sheets 11 and 12 may be secured together, as at 31, beyond the lower edge of intermediate sheet 13. Also, the upper portion 15 of intermediate sheet 13 beyond the upper edges of outer sheets 11 and 12 may be apertured, as at 32, say for suspension from a sales rack. However, as employed, the instant package construction, absent adhesive sealing, has been found entirely satisfactory relying entirely upon the mechanical or frictional interfitting relationship of groove formations 19 and 26. By this arrangement, utilizing light-permeable outer sheets 11 and 12, a see-through package may be provided, which is extremely economical in materials and other manufactur ing costs, staunch and rigid in structure, and capable of attractive decor by conventional printing procedures.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a package construction which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made Within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A package construction comprising a pair of facing outer sheets, at least one of said outer sheets having outwardly deformed receiver portions combining with the other sheet to define article-holding pockets, said outer sheets being formed with snug interlitting depressions surrounding each of said pockets, and an intermediate sheet sandwiched between said outer sheets, said intermediate sheet having openings receiving respective interfitting depressions and being retained in position thereby.

2. A package construction according to claim 1, at least one of said outer sheets being light-permeable to expose articles in said receiver portions, said intermediate sheet being opaque for exposure through said lightpermeable sheet.

3. A package construction according to claim 1, said outer sheets being fabricated of stiff resilient material, and said receiver portions being corrugated for resilient distensibility and snug embracing engagement with a re-- ceived article.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,047,143 7/1962 Voigt 206-- 3,107,204 10/1963 Brown et' al. 3,131,846 5/ 1964 Whiteford. 3,144,343 8/1964 Fritsche 0.S -X

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,010,631 3/1952 France.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

MARTHA L. RICE, Examiner. 

1. A PACKAGE CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF FACING OUTER SHEETS, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID OUTER SHEETS HAVING OUTWARDLY DEFORMED RECEIVER PORTIONS COMBINING WITH THE OTHER SHEET TO DEFINE ARTICLE-HOLDING POCKETS, SAID OUTER SHEETS BEING FORMED WITH SNUG INTERFITTING DEPRESSIONS SURROUNDING EACH OF SAID POCKETS, AND AN INTERMEDIATE SHEET SANDWICHED BETWEEN SAID OUTER SHEETS, SAID INTERMEDIATE SHEET HAVING OPENINGS RECEIVING RESPECTIVE INTERFITTING DEPRESSIONS AND BEING RETAINED IN POSITION THEREBY. 